Food Cost-cutting Tricks from Insiders

[Jim]

Here's a fairly broad topic, but let's take a shot at it...
Does anybody have some unusual/unique food-cost cutting tricks/techniques/tools? What are you doing that is innovative to keep costs down without sacrificing quality?

[shroomgirl]

buying the whole animal and breaking it down saves an incredible amount of money....leads to creative cooking too.

Finding my own wild mushrooms. Course that's seasonal and definately iffy on the morels. But I barter my cooking skills for morels from more seasoned hunters!!!
Chantrelles I can find on my own and generally have loads to share.

[Pete]

About a year and half ago we put a charcutiere (sp?) plate on our menu. It is a great way to use up all those little scraps of meat that you accumulate over time. We look at it as free money.
With our bread service we offer a condiment tray of 3 spreads. One used to be EV olive oil. Now I make my own jellies for it. I usually make a spicy red pepper jelly, or if making fruit jellies, I use frozen since you cook the fruits for a length of time. Not only is it cheaper to serve the jelly, the guests find it different and love it.

[markdchef]

I cut the stalks off broccoli and peel them for stir fries. I use the florets for a different recipe. I puree veggie scraps and/or bean scraps for dips. Buy grains, nuts, spices in bulk -- the price difference is incredible. Use concentrated tomato paste in a tube to add body and dimension to dishes without long cooking times. Use rice flour instead of more expensive arrowroot.

Buy organics through a co-op such as Purple Dragon in NJ. Always use leftover bread for another purpose - panzanella, bread crumbs, croutons etc.

[shroomgirl]

I make strada with leftover bagels,
bananas foster from cut nanas...
hmmmmmm...make meragines when I make pastry cream
I also buy from organic coop and frontier spices in bulk.
years ago I made fruit leather from older fruit and made my own raisins
tried to make mango chutney but liked the stuff in the jar better
made jam liked mine better
mushroom stems into duxelle or stuffing

[ March 06, 2001: Message edited by: shroomgirl ]

[snakelady1]

`I make bread pudding using leftover breakfast pastries

[ March 12, 2001: Message edited by: Nicko ]

[Nicko]

Originally we used to buy smoked salmon, I got tired of the high cost and started buying whole salmon and, cured and smoked my own. It was great fun, and the taste was so fresh.

When I was working at a brewery we used to use all of the leftover beer to marinate our brats.

[Pete]

If you have a chicken breast on the menu, stop buying the breasts. Buy whole chickens. The carcasses can be used for stocks, and the rest of the meat can be used for stews, chicken salad, or fillings for all sorts of things. This carries over into most meat items you buy. The less it is handled by the butcher, the less it will cost you. If you can use the scraps in creative ways, then it is cheaper to buy it that way.

[Nicko]

I think it is obvious that any time you can cut your own whether it is meat, chicken or fish you save money. In smoking my own salmon I would buy the whole fish and the scraps were used for a pasta dish or a mousse.

I think what the Jim is asking is do you have any unique ideas for saving money? One example would be a Chef David Burke of the Park Avenue Cafe and his famous swordfish chop. A piece of the sword fish that was hardly if ever used by anyone became his signature dish and made him a lot of money.

I agree along the lines of what Shroomgirl and Pete have said. In the case of meat the more primal cut you buy the cheaper it is…plus if you have any charcuterie skills you can turn scrap into profit by making sausages, pates etc. One thing that I have done is to serve a double chop of lamb with a crepinette of lamb sausage or even with grilled lamb sausage…this increases the portion of meat on the plate, uses scrap, and cuts down on the chops used thus increasing your yield. Also (depending on your menu) as with the whole chickens, I have always butchered my own duck. Stock up on leg and thigh and make pate, sausage or confit out of it. Truffle scraps, Foie Gras scrap, all can be used if saved.
Also the ABC principle of purchasing where you allocate more time purchasing things that are more expensive. Not everyone can competitive bid, so only do it with meat and fish…this can save serious $.

Regards,
Patrick

[shahar]

Just a few ideas at this time - Once skinning a salmon while making a tomato confit i had the urge to throw the skin into the already flavorsome olive oil. Marvelous -the sking cooked slowly inside extravirgin olive oil with plum tomatoes whole garlic cloves, fresh wild tyme(Persien ZaAtar) s bit of suger. Wow. It got bulky and bacame a dish on it's own. The japanese deep fry the slamon skin for sushis but i don't know the exact method.
Also carpscios from leftover meat/fish scraps. Take the fish meat left on the bone -mkae a tartar.

[shroomgirl]

I priced um out and the bought blintzs were cheaper and really good....Cohen/Wilton
with labor costs and the quality I'll continue to use um....there's a case of pre made item being cheaper than scratch....pretty unusual for me to use "store bought"

[thebighat]

Inventive chefs will find a way to make a dish out of scraps, but my favorite is the cost-cutting measure forced on us by management- I call it The Thirty Percent Less Syndrome and it's where the boss comes running into the kitchen in a panic and screams "Make all the portions 30% smaller. We're losing money on everything!" This is how you wind up serving 3 oz of veal scallopini that you already sliced off a 38lb on the bone leg of plume de veau. This happened 25 years ago- does anybody break down their own veal anymore?

[cape chef]

thebighat..
I do,and every other primal or sub primal piece I order. I save a minamum of 35% by breaking down my own meats,poultry and fin and scale fish.1 braclet of veal will give you 10 different applications...but buying pc foods leave you only one.Now, there is labor cost you need to attach to the bottom line..this skill is not possessed by most "line cooks" But the cost divided by labor is definatly worthwhile. especially when you understand the money that can be made of a leg of veal opposed to a top round of veal.I think the most important thing to understand is how to balance your menu as far as cost per plate.Most can't serve foie Gras,caviar,saffron,lobster,prime meats etc,on the same menu and charge x amount and hope to make money...But If you cost out your recipes and take atvantage of the seasons you can make things work. Balance,Balance,balance.
It's not always about the food,Look into your beverage program,paper goods,cleaning supplies etc.I use 1500 cs of evian water a year over 30 cs a week..I put them on our refreahment areas with tons of other goodies (everything is all inclusive)I buy it through 3 venders who compete for the buisness. Well along came dazani water 5.99 a cs opposed to 13.99-14.50 well guess what I just saved myself over $12.000.00 a year just buy switching water, and the customers love it. Just an example.
cc

Grow your own herbs and chiles; saves you hundreds of dollars. Basil, thyme, oregano, and sage grow like weeds, I have pots of them all around the restaurant. Also, I have a variety of chiles growning along the exterior of one wall where patrons have to pass, lights their eyes up.

The other is, of course, make the bonus pay for every kitchen employee tied directly to food cost -- makes all the difference in their prep habits and enthusiasm for daily specials.